What Does "Binding and Loosing" Mean?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18, Acts 2, Acts 2:38, Acts 8, Acts 10, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Matthew 18, John 20, Matthew 21:22, Acts 15, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--what-does-binding-and-loosing-mean
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

------------------------------------------------------------
I would say simply that the authority to binding loose is given to the church at large and to the leaders of the church as representatives of the church but it's Spiritual Authority based on the word of God so it's not absolute Authority no authorities absolute except gods um it's not authority to go tell Angels what to do they're not subject to us they're dispatched as we pray to God and he decides what to do and how to answer our prayers uh we do have authority in the name of Jesus Christ to rebuke evil spirits um that's given to us by the Lord based and it's recorded in the word of God but let's look at the context first of all in Matthew 16 Jesus was asking who do people say that I am and then who do you say that I am and Peter of course says you are the Christ the Messiah the Son of the Living God which a full understanding of the son of the Living God is means god manifests in the flesh So based on that Revelation Jesus said I give you the keys of the kingdom and whatever you bind on Earth is bound in heaven as as you've quoted the keys the kingdom the keys are used to open doors so it appears that Jesus was conferring upon Peter the ability to open the door of the New Testament Church and we do find that in Acts 2 Peter was the first spokesman for the church and he preached the message that culminated in Acts 2 38.

and that's when Jewish people first came into the church were baptized in Jesus name received the Holy Spirit in Acts 8 we find the gospel going to the Samaritans a different group they were descendants of Jews who had entered married with Gentiles so they had someone of a mixed status uh both ethnically and theologically and while Philip went and evangelized them none of them had received the Holy Ghost yet so Philip reported to the apostles they sent Peter and John when Peter and John came and prayed for them they received the Holy Ghost and then in Acts 10 we find the first account of Gentiles who non- jewish people coming in the church God sent the Apostle Peter to preach and opened the door they were baptized in Jesus name they received the Holy Ghost so it does seem in a historical sense that Peter actually was the first one the leading Apostle to open the door of salvation to the respective groups of people that represent the entire human race now it's interesting it wasn't arbitrary power it wasn't Peter to preach whatever he wanted he could only preach what Jesus had already taught and it wasn't personal authority to have people obey his commands for personal glory in fact Peter himself described in First Peter chapter 5 verse one through four that spiritual leaders should not be Lords over God's Heritage he's not dictators but examples and that we are under Shepherds Jesus is the chief Shepherd so using Peter's own story and teaching we find it's not unlimited Authority it's authority to do spiritual things to preach the gospel to advance the kingdom to defeat the Devil and it's according to the teaching of Jesus and the word of God now the binding and loosing while Peter was was given the keys and I think we have those same keys but Peter was the first one so just like you think of the the door being opened by the first person but the binding and loosing is given more generally to the apostles as you see not only in act in Matthew 16 but Matthew 18.

and I would say it's very similar it's Spiritual Authority to do things that are authorized by the word of God let me give you another example in John chapter 20 the resurrected Christ talked to the apostles and said whatever sins you um he says I give you authority to remit sins and whatever sins you remit they're remitted whatever sins you retain they're retained does that mean you know spiritual leaders whether it's just the original Apostles or us today we can go around saying okay I forgive your sins I refuse to forgive your sins you're going to go to hell you know I don't think so because the Bible actually tells us how this happens in Acts 2 38 be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins so we repent and we're baptized and we have our sins forgiven and remitted washed away so I see this as Jesus in the example of John 20 is telling the the disciples and I think the preachers of the Gospel have that same Authority today when you preach the gospel and you tell people what to do and they do it their sin is going to be washed away but if you preach the gospel and people refuse to obey it their sins are going to be retained so it's not your arbitrary personal power but as you administrate the gospel the gospel will be effective it will have results when you preach what I have told you people really will have their sins washed away they really will receive the Holy Ghost I'm going to back you up so when you preach I'll back up your message and if people reject your message well then I'm not gonna work in their lives in in the same way so so you can bind and lose I see it as Jesus saying I when you do what I've commanded you to do when you preach my gospel you do the work I've called you do I will back you up I'll give you power to fulfill what you say when when you preach that people can be healed I'm going to heal them but then if people reject then they're not going to receive the blessing so you can lose people or you can bind People based on your message that I've given you and their response now Matthew 18 provides further context because it talks about two specific cases one being church discipline when there's a dispute between two people two Christians that can't resolve it they bring it to the church uh the and I which I think means the leadership and they go through a process and they resolve it um God says you know I'm going to back you up and so if you mediate and come up with a solution I'll support it and it says if the person rejects that consider them a heathen so they're disobeying the church and then he also gives the example of two or three will bind together in prayer I will you know I'll honor their prayers so in the the two examples that we have in addition to preaching which I've already given an illustration if a matter of church discipline if there needs to be a decision made by the church to mediate or to discipline you follow the process at the end of the day God will back up the church and if people reject whether church is sincerely try to do then they suffer the consequences then the on a positive note in prayer so the church agrees in prayer God's going to honor their prayer so the binding and loosing is put in the context of church mediation church discipline and church prayer again it's not absolute doesn't mean we can always claim whatever we want it's got to happen everything is subject to the will of God and every thing is subject to the word of God all things that you ask in prayer believing you shall receive yeah that's a positive promise Matthew 21 22 but first John also describes if you ask anything according to my will uh and the The Lord's Prayer it says thy kingdom come thy will be done so whether we express it every time we pray or not the context of our prayers is always submission to the will of God so what does binding and losing mean I think it means that God will back up the church's prayers and the church is preaching and teaching and the church's decision making when they have to make an important decision God will support that and if people reject it then they suffer the consequences of rejection by God however the churches must only operate within its proper sphere of authority and according to the word of God I'll give another example in Acts 15 the apostles the early church Apostles and Elders all got together you might call the first general conference and they had to design decide these Gentiles are receiving the Holy Ghost can we just accept them into the church as Gentiles or should we make them get circumcised keep the law of Moses keep the Sabbath day keep the dietary loss well there is no clear statement in scripture they appeal to the Old Testament they appeal to the work of the spirit they appeal to the testimonies of people like Paul and Barnabas who were a missionaries to Gentiles they they looked at the example of Jesus but the end of the day they had to decide and after a considerable discussion debate they came to a consensus uh that Gentiles could be accepted directly into the church without having to obey the law of Moses but they did ask them to follow certain things well they wrote letters to all the churches and sent emissaries they didn't expect that any one local church would write back saying we reject the decision of the unified body we're we're splitting we're leaving we're turning in our credentials and and we're going to be an independent church but the way they phrase the letter it said it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us so they felt they had the leading of the spirit but they also had the consensus of the Brethren I think that's an example where God led the church and God backed up the decision of the church and he expected all the Lord expected all the local churches to follow the decision the church had collectively reached after prayer discussion and consensus now while I do not think any one organization has absolute Authority we could be wrong in a decision we make but I look at it more as the way we structured for example the Bible speaks of ordaining Elders that that ministers should be ordained it gives qualifications for ministers First Timothy 3 Titus 1.

but it doesn't give a detailed plan so the upci has a system localizes General license ordination has a training program it has an application um it you must have a ministerial endorsement you have to meet the board and be interviewed so it has all this process well all that process is not designed in scripture so could someone just say you know what that's not biblical I'm just gonna claim more Nation on my own I think no if you're part of a fellowship that's a sincere Fellowship Godly Fellowship they're trying to implement scripture then God is going to back up that organization when when the organization says this is what's required for ordination God's going to support that and if you short circuit that well then you're not going to have the blessing but if you do follow it it's not just a piece of paper it's not just a ceremony when you are ordained there's going to be a spiritual anointing that goes beyond just an organizational structure and so that's an example where God leaves a lot of details of church government into our discretion it's not specified in scripture the principles are there but how we implement the principles is left up to us but we can have confidence that if we're trying to implement what scripture teaches we're trying to follow the word of God we're acting is sincerely not out of personal motives then God will back up what we're doing it doesn't mean every decision is infallible doesn't mean we can't make mistakes or shouldn't change or God could show us you got that wrong but it means as a general principle I God is saying I will support you and as you seek to preach the gospel and Advance my kingdom when you bind spirits and of humans that are rebellious or evil spirits or when you Proclaim truth I will support you in the decisions you make I will bind what you bind I will lose what you lose I will you know I will thwart the people that come against you and I will bless the people that bless you and I will you know anoint your efforts and and you will you will have my authority in accomplishing my purpose